K-Pop Double Take is a weekly review column highlighting recent releases that have yet to receive the attention we feel they deserve.
In the world of Hallyu, disco is far from dead.
On "Brave New World" the new single from Brown Eyed Girls from the album "Basic," released on Nov. 4, the South Korean girl group takes classic disco tropes and gives them a modern K-pop once-over. The end result is something crisp, classic and funky, but decidedly not retro.
Originally debuting in 2006 with the ballad "Come Closer," Brown Eyed Girls have dabbled with a lengthy list of different music genres, (most notably electronica and throwback dance sounds) over the past decade.
"Brave New World" rides a smooth groove deeply indebted to 1970s and 1980s dance music to great effect.
Shades of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" by Michael Jackson can clearly be heard in both the groove and the strings that drive the opening of the song. As far as music to be inspired by, Brown Eyed Girls could've done a lot worse than a Michael Jackson classic!
'Brave New World" has all the hallmarks of classic disco.
Crisp hand claps? Check.
Smooth piano? Double check.
Funky chicken scratch guitar? Triple check!
All of this is framed with some K-pop vocals that are both smooth, sexy and contemporary.
The production on "Brave New World" looks to the past but pumps everything up to 2015 levels of sonic excitement. This effect is similar to "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk or "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, two anthems that "Brave New World" surely owes inspirational debt to. There has clearly been a bit of a disco revival in pop music over the past few years, and Brown Eyed Girls are keeping that train rolling.
A playful rap from Miyro comes in past the three-minute mark, prompting a switch up in production styles. The song flips over to a percussive sound that reminds me of the producer Timbaland or even The Pussycat Dolls. This is all over rapping that conjures up memories of Debbie Harry's work on the seminal Blondie tune "Rapture."
Towards the end of Miryo's verse, however, the disco kicks back in and we ride to the finish, a fun resolution to a song with a lot of spark and disco fun.
Brown Eyed Girls have been at this for some time now and with "Brave New World" they obviously haven't lost a step. Bringing to the table bits of disco, electronica even rap, this single is an action-packed pop gem, sure to please longtime fans and draw some new onesto the party.
Watch the video for "Brave New World" by Brown Eyed Girls RIGHT HERE
John Chiaverina is a musician and journalist living in New York City. He has performed in over 18 countries, including two tours of South Korea, under the name "Juiceboxxx."
